Tag Archives: John Gorka

Frank Christian, a virtuoso guitarist and songwriter who made critically acclaimed albums and contributed to Nanci Griffith’s Grammy-winning “Other Voices, Other Rooms” project, died Dec. 24 in New York after battling pneumonia.

Mr. Christian, who recorded four solo albums and played on works by Griffith, Suzanne Vega, Dave Van Ronk, Christine Lavin, John Gorka and others, was 60.

Griffith’s version of Mr. Christian’s “Three Flights Up” was a highlight of her “Other Voices” album, and he played guitar on that Jim Rooney-produced track, as well.

“It’s a very sad song — two people parting company but parting on good terms, cherishing the passion they shared, celebrating that,” Griffith wrote in “Nanci Griffith’s Other Voices: A Personal History Of Folk Music.” “Frank Christian also happens to be one of the most incredible acoustic guitar players I’ve ever met. ... He not only writes great songs; he also is a preserver of Delta blues and country blues.”

As a teen, Mr. Christian studied jazz guitar and literature. He released his debut album in 1982, impressing Van Ronk, Jack Hardy and other Greenwich Village folk scene mainstays. Van Ronk would later record Mr. Christian’s “Where Were You Last Night.” Mr. Christian waited 13 years to record “From My Hands,” which featured Griffith, The Band’s Garth Hudson and others.

“He didn’t record much, but he could play rings around anyone,” wrote masterful songwriter Eric Taylor in an online post. “Incredible musician, and a loving and caring friend.”